Description
Book SynopsisIt's the illusion that we would be better off without politics - at least national politics, and perhaps all politics. This title describes a few essential features of democracy and the nation-state, and then shows how these characteristics illuminate many aspects of our present political circumstances.
Trade Review"In this dazzling book, French political philosopher Pierre Manent tries to provide an 'impartial overview of the political order--or disorder--of today's world.' Few living thinkers could hope to pull off such an ambitious undertaking, but Manent is surely one... The reader will find much ... of interest in this heady book: meditations on egalitarianism, modern art, the French novel, sexual identity, science and faith, the French and American revolutions, the morality of international relations--on and on, all delivered in Manent's glistening prose, ably translated by Marc LePain... It's an ideal introduction to political philosophy in the new millennium."--Brian C. Anderson, National Review "By simultaneously insisting upon the (limited) intelligibility of natural, human, and political matters and remaining open to the questions that invite theological responses, Manent has already achieved a great deal and put us all in his debt."--Thomas S. Hibbs, First Things "A World beyond Politics? is a remarkable tour d'horizon that happens to be a genuine tour de force."--James W. Ceaser, Claremont Review of Books "Pierre Manent may be the best student of political philosophy alive, and this is probably his most penetrating, wonderful, and accessible book. A World beyond Politics? certainly deserves to be the most influential political analysis written this century so far."--Peter Augustine, Perspectives on Politics
Table of ContentsPreface to the American Edition vii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1: The Organization of Separations 10 CHAPTER 2: The Theologico-Political Vector 21 CHAPTER 3: The Movement of Equality 32 CHAPTER 4: The Question of Political Forms 42 CHAPTER 5: The Nation and the Work of Democracy 51 CHAPTER 6: Europe and the Future of the Nation 60 CHAPTER 7: The Wars of the Twentieth Century 70 CHAPTER 8: The Forces of Trade 86 CHAPTER 9: Declaring the Rights of Man 98 CHAPTER 10: Becoming an Individual 110 CHAPTER 11: The Religion of Humanity 121 CHAPTER 12: The Body and the Political Order 130 CHAPTER 13: Sexual Division and Democracy 141 CHAPTER 14: The Question of Communism 151 CHAPTER 15: Is There a Nazi Mystery? 161 CHAPTER 16: The Empire of Law 171 CHAPTER 17: The Empire of Morality 186 CHAPTER 18: The Human Political Condition and the Unity of the Human Race 197 NOTES 207 INDEX 215
